Reptiles of North Carolina
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Anolidae Members:
NC Records

Anolis sagrei - Brown Anole


Photo: Skyla Stuckey
Photo: Erich Hofmann
Photo: Erich Hofmann
Taxonomy
Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Anolidae
Taxonomic Comments: The Brown Anole is an introduced member of a group of more than 400 species that inhabits the Caribbean and Central and South America. Two species occur in our area, one of which, A. carolinensis, is native. A much larger number of exotic species have become established in Florida and may eventually show up in our area as the climate warms (see Gibbons et al., 2009 and Powell et al., 2016).

The genus Anolis was recently moved to the family Anolidae from its previous placement in Dactyloidae (de Queiroz, 2022).
Species Comments:
Identification
Description: This species is identifiable from good quality photographs.
Field Marks: Unlike the native Green Anole, Brown Anoles do not have a green color phase and typically have a reticulated pattern of pale and dark streaks and spots on their bodies. Also note the shorter/thicker head (as opposed to more elongate in the native Green Anole), though this is difficult to compare in younger individuals.
Online Photos:    Google   iNaturalist   GBIF
Observation Methods: Brown Anoles are generally found on the ground or low on the sides of buildings, in grasses, bushes, or shrubs; most records in North Carolina are associated with landscaping centers or in areas where recent landscaping work has taken place, as this is the most common method this non-native species is transported.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution Comments: Palmer and Braswell (1995) did not show any records for this species in North Carolina and Beane et al. (2010) mentioned only two reports from New Hanover County. Now, however, there are reports from more than twenty counties: from Swain County in the mountains to Dare County in the northeast Coastal Plain to New Hanover in the southern Coastal Plain. Many records are concentrated in and around greenhouses or nurseries where plants are brought up from Florida, but others have been reported from residential areas, including new construction apartment complexes with extensive landscaping. These areas are not traditionally targeted for herpetological inventories and the apparent sudden appearance of this species all over the state may be due to gaps in past sampling efforts.
Distribution Reference: GBIF.org (12 February 2023) GBIF Occurrence Download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.qp9mc3; iNaturalist/GBIF.org records (9 February 2024)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Key Habitat Requirements
Habitat: In Florida, the Brown Anole occupies essentially the same habitats as the Green Anole, which in that region consists largely of evergreen shrubs, vines, and trees, together with buildings and walls in human occupied sites. Whether this species can adapt to using deciduous forests, with prolonged winter cold seems uncertain. Many of the occurrences of Brown Anoles in North Carolina are associated with greenhouses, garden centers, and nurseries, where there may be warm places to shelter during the winter. Others are associated with new apartment construction and landscaping. Along the southern barrier islands, however, this species may be able to thrive as much as it has in Florida.
Biotic Relationships: Brown Anoles feed on the same range of arthropods as the Green Anole and are also known to prey upon juveniles of the Green Anole (the converse is also true). For a number of reasons, they are able to outcompete the Green Anole and develop dense populations that exclude that species from the lower strata of shrubs and trees and, in some areas at least, eliminate them altogether.
Life History and Autecology
General Ecology
Adverse Environmental Impacts
Status in North Carolina
NHP State Rank: SE
Global Rank: G5
Status Comments: Although recorded across the state, the status of these occurrences appears to be unknown; many of these records may represent just a few stray individuals rather than established breeding populations. It also seems unclear how well Brown Anoles -- an essentially tropical species that is active year-round -- can adapt to cold winters and to the low availability of insect prey that occurs during that period.
Stewardship: No stewardship of populations of this species is needed. Instead, eradication may be needed to prevent populations from gaining footholds in native habitats.

Photo Gallery for Anolis sagrei - Brown Anole

4 photos are shown.

Recorded by: Erich Hofmann
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Skyla Stuckey
Lee Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
New Hanover Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther
New Hanover Co.
Comment: